Pipe compression equipment

ABSTRACT

A system for compressing and packing pipe insulation includes a compression member that is movable along a first axis to compress pieces of pipe insulation. A stacking bay includes opposing walls that are spaced apart from one another. At least one of the two opposing walls is movable relative to the other of the two opposing walls along a second axis to adjust a lateral distance between the opposing walls to accommodate an increasing size of the pieces of pipe insulation along the second axis. The first axis is generally orthogonal to the second axis. A packing member that applies a force along a third axis to the pieces of pipe insulation after being compressed. The third axis is generally orthogonal to the first and second axes. The first axis is generally orthogonal to the second axis. The compression member is aligned with a space formed between the opposing walls.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Existing compression and packing processes for pipe insulation typicallyutilize vacuum packaging techniques. For example, sections of insulationmay be interleafed and then inserted into a plastic bag. A vacuum hoseor other device is then used to remove air from the bag until theinsulation material is compressed enough to allow a sleeve to be slidover the compressed insulation. Oftentimes, such techniques result inbundles of insulation that are not uniform in shape or size.Additionally, the compressed pipe insulation is often damaged due to theextreme of vacuum applied to the insulation material. The lack ofuniformity of the packages of compressed pipe insulation also makesloading the packages onto shipping vehicles difficult and inefficient,as the various shapes and sizes of packages may be difficult to stackand/or otherwise arrange.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to pipe insulation, aswell as systems and methods for compressing and packaging such pipeinsulation in a more efficient and uniform manner that results inreductions in damage to the packed pipe insulation products. Morespecifically, embodiments utilize insulation packaging equipment thatallows stacked insulation sections to be compressed and packed intouniform bundles with less product damage and with improved truck loadingefficiency. For example, embodiments include a pipe insulationcompression device that includes moving walls that allow pipe insulationto be compressed and inserted into bags without interleaving the pipeinsulation pieces and without the use of vacuum packing techniques,thereby eliminating many of the problems associated with conventionalpipe insulation packaging techniques. Additionally, by adding externallongitudinal slits to sections of the insulation, round insulationsections can be compressed into flattened shapes to minimize the airspace within the insulation.

In one embodiment, a system for compressing and packing pipe insulationis provided. The system may include a compression member that may bemovable along a first axis to compress a plurality of pieces of pipeinsulation and a stacking bay that includes two opposing walls that arespaced apart from one another. At least one of the two opposing wallsmay be movable relative to the other of the two opposing walls along asecond axis to adjust a lateral distance between the two opposing wallsto accommodate an increasing size of the plurality of pieces of pipeinsulation along the second axis while being compressed by thecompression member. The first axis may be generally orthogonal to thesecond axis. The system may also include a packing member that may beconfigured to apply a force along a third axis to the plurality ofpieces of pipe insulation after being compressed. The third axis may begenerally orthogonal to the first axis and the second axis. Thecompression member may be aligned with a space formed between the twoopposing walls.

In some embodiments, the system may further include a containerinterface having an attachment point that may be configured to couplewith a storage container. The packing member may be configured to forcethe plurality of pieces of pipe insulation through the containerinterface and into the storage container. In some embodiments theattachment point is adjustable so as to accommodate different sizes ofstorage containers. In some embodiments, the storage container mayinclude one or both of a sleeve or bag. In some embodiments, the atleast one of the two opposing walls may be spring biased toward theother of the two opposing walls with a spring force that allows thelateral distance to increase as compressed insulation expands along thesecond axis. In some embodiments, the at least one of the two opposingwalls may be configured to move along the second axis at a predeterminedrate relative to movement of the compression member. In someembodiments, both of the two opposing walls may be movable along thesecond axis.

In another embodiment, a system for compressing and packing pipeinsulation may include a compression member that is movable along afirst axis and a stacking bay that includes two opposing walls that arespaced apart from one another. At least one of the two opposing wallsmay be movable relative to the other of the two opposing walls along asecond axis to adjust a lateral distance between the two opposing walls.The first axis may be generally orthogonal to the second axis. Thecompression member may be aligned with a space formed between the twoopposing walls. The at least one of the two opposing walls may beconfigured to increase the lateral distance between the two opposingwalls as the compression member moves toward the space formed betweenthe two opposing walls.

In some embodiments, the system may include a container interface havingan attachment point for a storage container. The container interface maybe positioned on a side of the stacking bay that is generally orthogonalto both the first axis and the second axis. In some embodiments, theattachment point may be adjustable in size so as to accommodate aplurality of sizes of storage containers. In some embodiments, thecompression member may include a movable ram. In some embodiments, atleast one of the two opposing walls may be spring biased toward theother of the two opposing walls with a spring force that allows thelateral distance to increase as compressed insulation expands along thesecond axis. In some embodiments, the system may also include a packingmember that may be configured to apply a force to compressed pipeinsulation along a third axis that may be generally orthogonal to thefirst axis and the second axis such that the compressed pipe insulationis passed through the container interface and into the storagecontainer.

In another embodiment, a method for compressing and packing pipeinsulation is provided. The method may include inserting a plurality ofpieces of pipe insulation into a stacking bay of an insulationcompression device and moving a compression member along a first axisinto an interior of the stacking bay to compress the plurality of piecesof pipe insulation. The method may also include moving at least one oftwo opposing walls of the stacking bay along a second axis to increase alateral distance between the two opposing walls while the compressionmember is moved to accommodate an increasing size of the plurality ofpieces of pipe insulation along the second axis. The first axis may begenerally orthogonal to the second axis.

In some embodiments, each of the plurality of pieces of pipe insulationmay include a length extending along a longitudinal axis, a thickness,and a through cut extending entirely through the thickness along anentirety of the length. Each of the plurality of pieces of pipeinsulation may also include a first cut, a second cut, and a third cutformed through a portion of the thickness and spaced at approximately 90degree increments about the longitudinal axis relative to the throughcut. In some embodiments, inserting the plurality of pieces of pipeinsulation include arranging each of the plurality of pieces of pipeinsulation such that the through cut is substantially aligned with thefirst axis. The second cut may be spaced approximately 180 degrees apartfrom the through cut about the longitudinal axis and may be formedthrough an interior surface of the respective piece of pipe insulation.The first cut and the third cut may be formed on opposite sides of therespective piece of pipe insulation and are spaced approximately 90degrees apart from the through cut about the longitudinal axis. Thefirst cut and the third cut may be formed through an exterior surface ofthe respective piece of pipe insulation.

In some embodiments. when compressed the each of the plurality of piecesof pipe insulation may include a generally FIG. 8 shaped cross section.In some embodiments, the method may also include applying a force alonga third axis to move compressed pipe insulation into a storagecontainer. The third axis may be substantially orthogonal to the firstaxis and the second axis. In some embodiments, the method may furtherinclude affixing the storage container to an attachment point of theinsulation compression device. In some embodiments, the method may alsoinclude adjusting a size of the attachment point to accommodate a sizeof the storage container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A further understanding of the nature and advantages of variousembodiments may be realized by reference to the following figures. Inthe appended figures, similar components or features may have the samereference label. Further, various components of the same type may bedistinguished by following the reference label by a set of parenthesescontaining a second label that distinguishes among the similarcomponents. If only the first reference label is used in thespecification, the description is applicable to any one of the similarcomponents having the same first reference label irrespective of thesecond reference label.

FIG. 1A depicts an isometric view of pipe insulation according toembodiments of the invention.

FIG. 1B depicts an end view of the pipe insulation of FIG. 1A in anuncompressed state.

FIG. 1C depicts an end view of the pipe insulation of FIG. 1A in acompressed state.

FIG. 2 depicts a package of compressed insulation pieces according toembodiments of the invention.

FIG. 3A illustrates a front view of insulation compression and packingequipment in an uncompressed state according to embodiments.

FIG. 3B illustrates a side view of the insulation compression andpacking equipment of FIG. 3A in an uncompressed state.

FIG. 3C illustrates a front view of the insulation compression andpacking equipment of FIG. 3A in a compressed state.

FIG. 3D illustrates a side view of the insulation compression andpacking equipment of FIG. 3A in a compressed state.

FIG. 3E illustrates a side view of the insulation compression andpacking equipment of FIG. 3A with an empty storage container.

FIG. 3F illustrates a side view of the insulation compression andpacking equipment of FIG. 3A with a filled storage container.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart depicting a process for compressing and packingpipe insulation according to embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The subject matter of embodiments of the present invention is describedhere with specificity to meet statutory requirements, but thisdescription is not necessarily intended to limit the scope of theclaims. The claimed subject matter may be embodied in other ways, mayinclude different elements or steps, and may be used in conjunction withother existing or future technologies. This description should not beinterpreted as implying any particular order or arrangement among orbetween various steps or elements except when the order of individualsteps or arrangement of elements is explicitly described.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to systems and methodsof compressing and packaging pipe insulation. Embodiments providesolutions that enable pipe insulation to be packaged in manner thatresults in consistent and efficient sizes and shapes for shipment and/orstorage without resulting in damage to the pipe insulation. Embodimentsachieve such results by utilizing a compression member that compresses anumber of pieces of stacked (or otherwise arranged pipe insulation)along a first axis in conjunction with a stacking bay that hasexpandable or otherwise movable opposing walls that move outward along asecond axis (generally perpendicular to the first axis) to accommodatean expanding size of the pipe insulation as the pipe insulation is beingcompressed along the first axis. This allows several pieces of pipeinsulation to be stacked and compressed without the pipe insulationrolling or otherwise moving during the compression phase and ensuresthat the compressed pipe insulation is compressed in a repeatable anduniform manner. While discussed primarily in relation to pipeinsulation, it will be appreciated that the systems and methodsdescribed herein may be used in many other applications, including withother types of insulation, padding, and/or other generally tubularand/or resilient materials.

With proper construction of the packaging equipment and by keeping the100% through cut of each insulation piece in the same orientation,several sections of externally-slit insulation can be compressed andbundled into generally rectangular packages with minimized productdamage. The spring-loaded (or otherwise) moving opposing walls thedevice allow material to be stacked with sidewall pressure on thematerial. This keeps the sections of insulation from rolling around andhelps to ensure the 100% through cut of each section remains in adownward orientation (or otherwise oriented with a direction of movementof the compression member). Stacked insulation can then be slowlycompressed into generally flat shapes with the compression member. Themoving opposing walls allow the material to fan out during thecompression process. A packing member is then used to push and/orotherwise convey the compressed material in a bag or sleeve by applyingforce along an axis. If desired, the individual bundles can be stretchwrapped together or placed in a bag and/or other storage container toform a larger uniformly sized package.

Turning now to FIGS. 1A-1C, one embodiment of insulation 100 forcompression and packaging in accordance with the present invention isillustrated. While used as pipe insulation, it will be appreciated thatinsulation 10 may also be used in other numerous insulation applicationsas well as non-insulation applications. Insulation 100 may include anynumber of layers of insulation product, membranes, jacketing, and/orother layers as desired for a particular application. As illustrated inFIG. 1A, in some embodiments insulation 100 may be an elongate memberhaving a generally circular cross section. To allow the insulation 100to be fitted about a pipe and/or other round structure, the insulation100 may include a through cut 102 that extends along an entirety of alength L of the insulation 100. The through cut 102 extends entirelythrough a thickness T of the insulation 100 such that the insulation 100is fully severed on one side. During installation of the insulation,opposing sides of the insulation at the through cut 102 may be graspedand forced apart from one another to widen a slit that may receive thepipe or other structure. Once in place, the opposing sides may beallowed to come together and/or are forced together to secure the pipeor other structure within the insulation 100.

Insulation 100 may include a number of additional cuts or slits that areformed in surfaces of the insulation 100 that allow the insulation 100to be compressed in a uniform manner. For example, a first cut 104, asecond cut 106, and a third cut 108 may be provided in various surfacesof the insulation 100. The first cut 104 and the third cut 108 may beexterior side cuts that are formed in an exterior surface 110 of theinsulation 100. For example, as best illustrated in FIG. 1B the firstcut 104 may be positioned approximately 90 degrees from the through cut102 relative to a central longitudinal axis 112 of the insulation 100.The third cut 108 may then be positioned on an opposite side of theinsulation 100 approximately 180 degrees from the first cut 104 relativeto the longitudinal axis 112 and approximately 90 degrees from thethrough cut 102 relative to the longitudinal axis 112. Each of the firstcut 104 and the third cut 108 may extend through about 30%-75% of thethickness T of the insulation 100 from the exterior surface 110. Thesecond cut 106 may be an interior hinge cut that is formed through aninterior surface 114 of the insulation 100. The second cut 106 may bepositioned approximately 180 degrees from the through cut 102 relativeto the longitudinal axis 112 and approximately 90 degrees from each ofthe first cut 104 and the third cut 108 relative to the longitudinalaxis 112. The second cut 106 may extend through about 30%-75% of thethickness T of the insulation 100 from the interior surface 114.

The arrangement of cuts described above enables insulation 100 to becompressed into a generally FIG. 8 shape as best illustrated in FIG. 1C.For example, when compressed along an axis 116 that is in generalalignment with the through cut 102, sections of insulation 100 proximatethe through cut 102 and the second cut 106 may be moved toward oneanother to compress the insulation 100 along the axis 116. While beingcompressed along the axis 116, portions of the insulation 100 near thefirst cut 104 and the second cut 108 may be pushed away from anothersuch that the insulation expands along a second axis 118 that issubstantially parallel to axis 116. In this manner, the insulation 100may be compressed into an elongate FIG. 8 shape.

The position and design of the various cuts further enables theinsulation 100 to be compressed in the manner described above. Forexample, by forming the first cut 104 and the third cut 108 through theexterior surface 110, it allows exterior portions of the insulation 100proximate each of the first cut 104 and the third cut 108 to be drawnaway from one another such that the insulation can flex and compressalong the axis 116. By forming the second cut 106 through the interiorsurface 114, the interior portions of insulation 100 proximate thesecond cut 106 to be separated to allow the insulation to expand alongthe second axis 118 while being compressed along axis 116.

FIG. 2 illustrates a package 200 of compressed insulation pieces 202according to one embodiment. Insulation pieces 202 may be similar toinsulation 100 and may be compressed in a manner similar to that shownin FIG. 1C such that the individual insulation pieces 202 have generallyfigure-8 shaped cross-sections. Package 200 may include a number ofcompressed insulation pieces 202 that are stacked and/or otherwisearranged side-by-side with one another such that the through cuts ofeach of the insulation pieces 202 are aligned along an axis of thepackage 200. This allows the package 200 to be generally rectangular foreasy stacking and arranging for storage and/or shipment. A bag or sleeve204 may be positioned around the insulation pieces 202 to keep theinsulation pieces 202 in the compressed/stacked configuration. Whileshown here with seven insulation pieces 202 in package 200, it will beappreciated that any number of insulation pieces 202 may be placed intoa single package 200. Additionally, while shown with only one row ofstacked insulation pieces 202, it will be appreciated that in someembodiments, multiple rows of stacked insulation pieces 202 may bearranged side-by-side to create larger packages 200 of insulation pieces202.

FIGS. 3A-3F depict a device 300 for compressing and packaging insulationin accordance with the present invention. Device 300 may be configuredto compress and pack generally circular insulation (such as pipeinsulation) and/or other materials into a generally FIG. 8 shape such asdescribed above in accordance with FIGS. 1A-1C. For example, device 300may include a stacking bay 302 that provides a space for uncompressedinsulation 304 to be arranged for subsequent compressing and packaging.The stacking bay 302 includes at least two opposing walls 306. Whileshown as side walls, it will be appreciated that in some embodimentsopposing walls 306 may be top and bottom walls and/or in otherarrangements. The opposing walls 306 may define limits of an interiorspace that that receives the uncompressed insulation 304.

One or both of the opposing walls 306 may be configured to move relativeto the other one of the opposing walls 306 along an axis 308 so as toalter a distance between the opposing walls 306. For example, one orboth of the opposing walls 306 may move to expand and contract the sizeof the interior space. The movement of the opposing walls 306 may beactive or passive. For example, in some embodiments one or both of theopposing walls 306 may be spring biased toward the other of the opposingwalls 306. The spring force of the spring(s) may be selected such thatthe lateral distance between the opposing walls 306 is able to increaseto accommodate the increasing size of compressed insulation 304 alongthe axis 308. Other passive mechanisms, that can be set to provide adesired amount of force may be utilized as well.

In other embodiments, an active movement mechanism may be used to alterthe distance between the opposing walls 306. For example, one or both ofthe opposing walls 306 may be coupled with a linear actuator that movesthe respective opposing wall 306 at a predetermined rate. For example,the linear actuator may utilize a screw actuator (such as, but notlimited to, a leadscrew, screw jack, ball screw and/or roller screwactuator) a wheel and axle actuator (such as, but not limited to ahoist, winch, rack and pinion, chain drive, belt drive, rigid chainand/or rigid belt actuator), a cam actuator, and/or combinations thereofto drive the motion of one or both of the opposing walls 306 at acontrolled rate. The linear actuator may be purely mechanical, may bedriven by hydraulic and/or pneumatic means, and/or be electricallydriven. Oftentimes, a rate of movement of one or both of the opposingwalls 306 may be set based on a rate of compression, size, and/orexpected expansion rate and/or size of the insulation 304. For example,a particular size of insulation 304 may be compressed at a predeterminedrate that causes the insulation to expand along axis 308 at a knownrate. One or both of the opposing walls 306 may be moved at a rate thatmatches this expansion along axis 308 to ensure that the edges ofinsulation 304 remain in contact with the opposing walls 306 during thecompression process.

In some embodiments, the opposing walls 306 may also include stops thatset a maximum expansion distance of the opposing walls 306. These stopsmay be permanently fixed in place and/or may be adjustable toaccommodate different sizes of insulation. In operation, the stops haltthe expansion of the opposing walls 306 at a predetermined distance suchthat different batches of insulation 304 may be compressed to a uniformsize so that packages of the insulation 304 are uniform for betterefficiency for storage and/or shipping.

The device 300 may also include a compression member 310 that isconfigured to be positioned near and/or beyond an end of the stackingbay 302. The compression member 310 may be movable along an axis 312that is substantially orthogonal to the axis 308. For example, inembodiments in which the opposing walls 306 are side walls that movehorizontally relative to one another, the compression member 310 may bepositioned above and/or near a top of the stacking bay 302 and may beconfigured to move up and down relative to the stacking bay 302. Asillustrated, the compression member 310 includes a ram 314 that ismoveable along axis 312. Ram 314 may be moved using a linear actuator,similar to those described above. The ram 314 may be drawn away from thestacking bay 302 to allow a maximum number of pieces of insulation 304to be stacked and/or otherwise arranged in the stacking bay 302 as bestillustrated in FIG. 3A. Once the insulation 304 is arranged within thestacking bay 302 (with the through cuts of each piece of insulation 304substantially aligned with the axis 312), the ram 314 may be pushedtoward the interior of the stacking bay 302 and the pieces of insulation304. The ram 314 may include a platform 316 that contacts a first end ofa distal-most piece of insulation 304 to apply compressive pressure tothe stack of insulation, which causes the insulation 304 to compressalong axis 312 (and expand along axis 308) until the pieces ofinsulation 304 have a generally figure-8 shaped cross-section as shownin FIG. 3C.

In some embodiments, the rate of compressive movement of the ram 314 maybe directly tied to the movement of the opposing walls 306. For example,the faster the ram 314 moves to compress the insulation 304, the fasterthe expansion of the distance between opposing walls 306 to accommodatethe increasing dimension of the insulation 304 along the axis 308. Inembodiments with passive expansion mechanisms (such as spring biasedmechanisms), the rate of movement of the opposing walls 306 isautomatically driven by the movement of the ram 314, as the expansion ofthe insulation along axis 308 caused by the compression along axis 312causes portions of the insulation proximate the first cut and the thirdcut to press against the opposing walls 306 to increase the distancebetween the opposing walls 306. In embodiments with active expansionmechanisms, the linear actuators of the opposing walls 306 may besynchronized to expand at a desired rate relative to the compressionrate of ram 314. In some embodiments, the rate of expansion of theopposing walls 306 may match a rate of movement of the ram 314, while inother embodiments the rate of expansion of the opposing walls 306 may bedifferent than a rate of movement of the ram 314.

Once the insulation 304 has been compressed along axis 312 by the ram314 and the opposing walls 306 have expanded to accommodate theincreased size of the insulation along axis 308, the insulation 304 maybe packaged for storage and/or shipment. To move the compressedinsulation from the stacking bay 302 and into a storage container, apacking member 318 may be used. Packing member 318 may be similar to ram314 and may be configured to be movable along an axis 320 (such as byusing a linear actuator) that is substantially orthogonal to both axis308 and axis 312. The packing member 318 may include a platform 326 thatpushes against ends of the compressed insulation 304 to force thecompressed insulation 304 along the axis 320 and through an opening ofthe device 300.

On the exterior side of the opening of the device 300, a containerinterface 322 having an attachment point for a storage container 324.For example, the container interface 322 may include one or more prongsor frame members that a storage container 324 may be positioned about.In some embodiments, the attachment points may include one or moresecurement mechanisms, such as clamps, that may help maintain thestorage container 324 on the container interface 322 while thecompressed insulation 306 is inserted within. In some embodiments, thecontainer interface 322 may be a bag snout that allows a bag and/orsleeve (storage container 324) to be affixed to the attachment pointwith the bag and/or sleeve in an open configuration that allows the bagand/or sleeve to receive the compressed pieces of insulation 306. Inother embodiments, the storage container 324 may be a differentstructure, such as a box or bin. The container interface 322 allows anysuch storage container 324 to be coupled with the device 300 while thecompressed insulation 306 is forced through the opening of the device300 and into the storage container 324 by the packing member 318. Insome embodiments, the attachment point may be adjustable so as toaccommodate different sizes of storage containers 324. For example, theprongs and/or frame members may be moved and locked into a desiredposition to be used with storage containers 324 of various sizes.

In operation, insulation 304, which may be similar to insulation 100,may be stacked and/or otherwise arranged within the stacking bay 302such that the opposing walls 306 contact edges of the insulation 304near the first cut and the third cut, with the through cut of each pieceof insulation 304 being generally aligned with the axis 312 of movementof the compression member 310. The compression member 310 may be movedtoward the insulation 304 until the insulation 304 starts to compressalong the axis 312. As the insulation 304 compresses along the axis 312,one or both of the opposing walls 306 move to increase the distancebetween the opposing walls 306 to accommodate the increasing size of theinsulation 304 along the axis 308. The opposing walls 306 move at a ratethat matches the expansion of the insulation 304 along the axis 308 suchthat the opposing walls 306 stay in contact with the sides of theinsulation 304, which helps ensure that the insulation 304 does notrotate and/or otherwise change orientation as the insulation 304 isbeing compressed. In this manner, the insulation 304 is compressed intoa generally figure-8 shaped cross-section. After being compressed, theinsulation 306 may be forced into one or more storage containers 324using packing member 318, which applies a force to a distal end of theinsulation 306 along axis 320 to move the compressed insulation.Additionally or alternatively, a live bottom plate (i.e., a movingconveyor) can be used to convey the compressed material via frictionalforce into one or more storage containers by applying force along adesired axis of movement. Such designs may allow the material to bestacked on an opposite side of the bag snout area, which may be betterergonomically for the operator.

While described and shown with the compression member 314 being orientedfor movement in a vertical direction and the opposing walls 306 andpacking member 318 being oriented for movement in horizontal directions,it will be appreciated that device 300 may be oriented in any direction.For example, the compression member 314 may be configured to move in ahorizontal direction toward a fixed wall or barrier to apply force tothe insulation 306 that is positioned between the compression member 314and the fixed wall. In such embodiments, either the opposing walls 306or the packing member 318 may be movable in a vertical direction, whilethe other is movable in a horizontal direction that is orthogonal to themovement of the compression member 314.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a process 400 for compressing andpacking pipe insulation. Process 400 may be performed using insulationpackaging equipment, such as device 300. Process 400 may begin at block402 by inserting a number of pieces of pipe insulation into a stackingbay of an insulation compression device. Pipe insulation (or othercylindrical and compressible objects) may be similar to insulation 100.For example, each of the pieces of pipe insulation may include a lengthextending along a longitudinal axis, a thickness, a through cutextending entirely through the thickness along an entirety of thelength, and a first cut, a second cut, and a third cut formed through aportion of the thickness and spaced at approximately 90 degreeincrements about the longitudinal axis relative to the through cut. Thesecond cut may be spaced approximately 180 degrees apart from thethrough cut about the longitudinal axis and is formed through aninterior surface of the respective piece of pipe insulation. The firstcut and the third cut may be formed on opposite sides of the respectivepiece of pipe insulation and are spaced approximately 90 degrees apartfrom the through cut about the longitudinal axis. The first cut and thethird cut may be formed through an exterior surface of the respectivepiece of pipe insulation. The pieces of pipe insulation may be arrangedwithin the stacking bay such that the through cut is substantiallyaligned with the first axis. This ensures the that insulation pieces canbe compressed in a uniform manner.

At block 404, a compression member may be moved along a first axis intoan interior of the stacking bay to compress the pieces of pipeinsulation. At least one of two opposing walls of the stacking bay maybe moved along a second axis to increase a lateral distance between thetwo opposing walls while the compression member is moved to accommodatean increasing size of the plurality of pieces of pipe insulation alongthe second axis at block 406. The first axis may be generally orthogonalto the second axis. When compressed, each piece of pipe insulation has agenerally FIG. 8 shaped cross section, such as illustrated in FIG. 1C.

Once the insulation is compressed, a force may be applied along a thirdaxis (such as by a packing member) to move compressed pipe insulationinto a storage container at block 408. The third axis may besubstantially orthogonal to both the first axis and the second axis. Thestorage container may be affixed to an attachment point of theinsulation compression device. In some embodiments, the process 400 mayinclude adjusting a size of the attachment point to accommodate a sizeof the storage container. Once inserted within the storage container,the compressed insulation pieces may form generally rectangular packages(such as shown in FIG. 2) that allow the insulation to be stacked and/orarranged in an efficient manner for storage and/or shipment.

The methods, systems, and devices discussed above are examples. Someembodiments were described as processes depicted as flow diagrams orblock diagrams. Although each may describe the operations as asequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallelor concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may berearranged. A process may have additional steps not included in thefigure.

It should be noted that the systems and devices discussed above areintended merely to be examples. It must be stressed that variousembodiments may omit, substitute, or add various procedures orcomponents as appropriate. Also, features described with respect tocertain embodiments may be combined in various other embodiments.Different aspects and elements of the embodiments may be combined in asimilar manner. Also, it should be emphasized that technology evolvesand, thus, many of the elements are examples and should not beinterpreted to limit the scope of the invention.

Specific details are given in the description to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by oneof ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practicedwithout these specific details. For example, well-known structures andtechniques have been shown without unnecessary detail in order to avoidobscuring the embodiments. This description provides example embodimentsonly, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, orconfiguration of the invention. Rather, the preceding description of theembodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enablingdescription for implementing embodiments of the invention. Variouschanges may be made in the function and arrangement of elements withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described several embodiments, it will be recognized by those ofskill in the art that various modifications, alternative constructions,and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of theinvention. For example, the above elements may merely be a component ofa larger system, wherein other rules may take precedence over orotherwise modify the application of the invention. Also, a number ofsteps may be undertaken before, during, or after the above elements areconsidered. Accordingly, the above description should not be taken aslimiting the scope of the invention.

Also, the words “comprise”, “comprising”, “contains”, “containing”,“include”, “including”, and “includes”, when used in this specificationand in the following claims, are intended to specify the presence ofstated features, integers, components, or steps, but they do notpreclude the presence or addition of one or more other features,integers, components, steps, acts, or groups.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meaning as commonly or conventionally understood. As usedherein, the articles “a” and “an” refer to one or to more than one(i.e., to at least one) of the grammatical object of the article. By wayof example, “an element” means one element or more than one element.“About” and/or “approximately” as used herein when referring to ameasurable value such as an amount, a temporal duration, and the like,encompasses variations of ±20% or ±10%, ±5%, or +0.1% from the specifiedvalue, as such variations are appropriate to in the context of thesystems, devices, circuits, methods, and other implementations describedherein. “Substantially” as used herein when referring to a measurablevalue such as an amount, a temporal duration, a physical attribute (suchas frequency), and the like, also encompasses variations of ±20% or±10%, ±5%, or +0.1% from the specified value, as such variations areappropriate to in the context of the systems, devices, circuits,methods, and other implementations described herein.

As used herein, including in the claims, “and” as used in a list ofitems prefaced by “at least one of” or “one or more of” indicates thatany combination of the listed items may be used. For example, a list of“at least one of A, B, and C” includes any of the combinations A or B orC or AB or AC or BC and/or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). Furthermore, tothe extent more than one occurrence or use of the items A, B, or C ispossible, multiple uses of A, B, and/or C may form part of thecontemplated combinations. For example, a list of “at least one of A, B,and C” may also include AA, AAB, AAA, BB, etc.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for compressing and packing insulation,comprising: a compression member that is movable along a first axis; anda stacking bay comprising two opposing walls that are spaced apart fromone another, wherein at least one of the two opposing walls is movablerelative to the other of the two opposing walls along a second axis toadjust a lateral distance between the two opposing walls, wherein: thefirst axis is generally orthogonal to the second axis; the compressionmember is aligned with a space formed between the two opposing walls;and the at least one of the two opposing walls is configured to increasethe lateral distance between the two opposing walls as the compressionmember moves toward the space formed between the two opposing walls. 2.The system for compressing and packing insulation of claim 1, furthercomprising: a container interface having an attachment point for astorage container, the container interface being positioned on a side ofthe stacking bay that is generally orthogonal to both the first axis andthe second axis.
 3. The system for compressing and packing insulation ofclaim 2, wherein: the attachment point is adjustable in size so as toaccommodate a plurality of sizes of storage containers.
 4. The systemfor compressing and packing insulation of claim 1, wherein: thecompression member comprises a movable ram.
 5. The system forcompressing and packing insulation of claim 1, wherein: the at least oneof the two opposing walls is spring biased toward the other of the twoopposing walls with a spring force that allows the lateral distance toincrease as compressed insulation expands along the second axis.
 6. Thesystem for compressing and packing insulation of claim 2, furthercomprising: a packing member that is configured to apply a force tocompressed insulation along a third axis that is generally orthogonal tothe first axis and the second axis such that the compressed insulationis passed through the container interface and into the storagecontainer.
 7. The system for compressing and packing insulation of claim1, wherein: the compression member is configured to move within thespace formed between the two opposing walls to compress insulation alongthe first axis.
 8. The system for compressing and packing insulation ofclaim 1, further comprising: a linear actuator that is configured tomove the at least one of the two opposing walls along the second axis.9. The system for compressing and packing insulation of claim 8,wherein: the linear actuator comprises at least one actuator selectedfrom the group consisting of a screw actuator, a wheel and axleactuator, and a cam actuator.
 10. The system for compressing and packinginsulation of claim 8, wherein: the linear actuator comprises at leastone actuator selected from the group consisting of a hydraulic actuator,a mechanical actuator, a pneumatic actuator, and an electric actuator.11. The system for compressing and packing insulation of claim 8,wherein: a rate of speed of the linear actuator is synchronized toincrease the lateral distance between the two opposing walls at adesired rate relative to a speed of the compression member.
 12. Thesystem for compressing and packing insulation of claim 1, furthercomprising: a number of stops that set a maximum expansion distance ofthe two opposing walls.